St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-26
Quiet Sensation Caused by a Col
ored Quartette of Fashionable
ninapS

ored Quartette of Fashionable
Diners.
There was very interesting scene in
the ladies' and gentlemen's restaurant
of Kinsley's establishment the other
evening, says the Chicago Herald. The
scene was OccaSioned by the entrance of
well dressed quartette of colored peo-
pie. Their manner easily marked them
as well-bred persons. One of the men
is an employee of one of the fashionable
tailorS on Michigan avenue, and he was
accompanied by his bride, woman of
AmaZonian state illness and comedy feat
ures. The other gentleman was we'll
known professional man, accompanied
by fashionable bronZe-cOlored belle
from an Eastern city. The party Sc
lected one of the most conspicuous
and attractive tables under the
glare of brilliant lights, which brought
out all the shades and tints of their COM
pleXiOns, heightened by their vari-col-
Ored theater costumes. Kinsley's pa
irons have become so accustomed to
these dark surprises that the entrance
of ladies and gentlemen of dusky hue
rarely attracts more than passing notice
quickly challenged the attention of all
present. Some of the ladies were so Gu
rlous that they quietly INDUCED in
gueSSeS as to the race iden-
tity of this unusualIooking company.
Some thought that they belonged to the
retinue of Queen Kapi0iani, left behind,
or that they were Turks in disguise.
Nobody thought for moment that they
belonged even in a remote degree to the
recently enfranchised." Indeed, one
lady was heard to say, almost too loudly:
Surely they are not niggerS." But,
alas! the uncertainty was soon removed.
After the party had sat for about five
minutes in elegant expectation for serv-
ice they began to notice the twitching
and heSitating movements of the head
waiter. This functiOnary had been
mastering up courage to break to the
party the awful intelligence that Mr..
KinSley declined to serve colored
people. The effect of this announce
ment afforded an interesting study in
physiology, for it was never before sup
After recovering from the first shock of
this painful decree, the lighter of
the two men was delegated to visit
Mr.. Kinsley in his Office with the view
of compelling him to recognize the dis
tinguiShed character of this particular
Off-colOred quartet. With an air of in
jured pride the professional man of stall
Wart mlen and doubtful hair
strobe through the spacious parlor
in ,quest of the cause of the
company's embarrassment. The genial
host was seen, and must have been i'm
pressed by the bold yet suppliant elo-
Quence of his offended visitor, for it was
not long before the excited delegate re-
turned to his anXiously waiting company
to tell them that the generous proprietor
had made ample apologies and had or
dered forthwith that III best service of
his house be at their command. Not
only so, but Mr.. Kinsley has now deter
mined to persuade the other proprietors
of first-class restaurants to accommodate
colored people. 1t seems that as
Kinsley has stood almost alone in
this matter he has been having more
than his share of negro patronage. 1t
is believed that when the other places
of this order become accessible to them,
they will not so impose upon the good
nature of Kinsley. The chief difficulty
to overcome is the determination of
white walters not to wait on negroes.
1t is but justice to add that on the even
ing in question none of the white ladies
and gentlemen present seemed to be at
all disturbed by the presence of these
well bred colOred persons.